Food is a ‘principal’ concern for Jordan School District

Principals have found that snacks can diffuse behavior issues. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

When
two boys were sent to her office for acting out with aggressive behavior,
Principal Cherie Wilson asked them if they’d had breakfast. They hadn’t.

“That’s
the first thing I usually ask kids if they’re acting out or can’t concentrate —
‘Did you have breakfast?’ or ‘Can I get you a snack?’” said Wilson, who is principal
at Foothills Elementary. “Even just a little fruit snack can make a
difference in the fact that they can pay attention.”

Meeting
this basic need is a top priority for principals. All 57 schools in Jordan
District have a Principal’s Pantry to provide students and their families with
food. Because they value this resource, 185 administrators, Jordan District
employees and members of the Utah State Board of Education met this summer to
assemble 1,800 weekend
food packets and 1,800 school-day snack packs.

While
principals traditionally focus on testing scores, discipline and graduation
rates, meeting students’ basic needs is a top priority.

“I
know if their basic needs are not met, then none of the other stuff matters and
it’s not going to happen,” said Jen Ludlow, principal at West Jordan
Elementary. “I have to make sure they are fed, that they are getting enough
rest. My scores aren’t going to improve with tired and hungry children. I think
that’s really key.”

The
pantry’s resources are available to any student — no proof or paperwork is
required.

“We always have food available for kids who are
hungry — if they need a snack or if they just need a little something,” said
Ludlow.

Jim
Groethe, assistant principal at Copper Hills High School, said to be able to
focus on learning, students need to feel loved and to have their basic needs
met.

“If we
can do that, then we can begin to expand into deep learning,” said Groethe.
“Without it, it’s just kids sitting there wondering about their next meal.”

Groethe
knows from personal experience.

“I
grew up in a one-bedroom house, son of a custodian, so I know what it is to
struggle and wonder where my next meal is coming from,” he said. As a young
teacher, he utilized the free summer lunches for his own children and felt
guilty that they ate a lot of ramen noodles at home. But he knows there are kids
who would be grateful to even have noodles in their house to eat.

“We hope to let recipients know that our entire
education community cares and is providing solutions,” said Steven Hall, executive
director of the JEF.

Brian
Larson, assistant principal at Copper Mountain Middle School, said the packets
of food are a great resource for administrators and teachers to be able to
support their students.

“It
allows us to immediately impact their afternoon, their school day and their
weekend for the better,” said Larson.

Ludlow
said she is grateful the district chose this as their annual service project as
part of their summer professional development conference.

“The
district is really generous,” she said. “Not only do they give us the food, but
they give us the people to help manage it so I’m not putting these together
myself every weekend.” She said her assistant spends a lot of time each week
preparing backpacks of food to send home with students for the weekend.

It
took the volunteers just one hour to assemble and fill 504 boxes to stock the
pantries of 36 elementary schools.

The
$10,000 Jordan Education Fund spent on the packets was mainly from donations
from charity drives and fundraisers (such as the Super Bowl of Caring) held last
year at elementary, middle and high schools, said Hall.

“Mainly
it’s kid to kid,” he said. “Our kids are helping other kids—they don’t care
what school they go to.”